The Bible is under attack from every direction. In this message, Dr. Steven Collins shows the historical reliability of the Old Testament by comparing it to other historical texts from the same time periods.

Calvary Albuquerque is regularly host to special guest speakers. This series includes messages from many great Bible teachers including; Pancho Juarez, Mike Finizio, Don McClure, Bill Welch and others. These messages can be purchased as CDs from our online store, or by calling 1-800-922-1888.

Transcript

Welcome to Calvary Albuquerque. We pursue the God who is passionately pursuing a lost world. We do this with one another, through worship, by the word, to the world.

But what I thought I'd talk about tonight is something that I think is really important for us to understand in the day in which we live, because the Bible is under attack. Is it not? From every angle, from every direction, the Bible comes under attack. And people who believe the Bible are under attack. Archeology is the single best means of confirming the physical, historical reality of the Bible. Now, that should be the case, shouldn't it? If the biblical text rises from three dimensional space time reality, then we should be able to go to that same territory-- that same real estate-- and find evidence for the world it describes. Should we not? Yes, we should, and we do. And there's ample evidence-- there's abundant evidence-- it's growing and growing and growing. But people need to find out about it. So, I thought I would do a thing tonight, touching on-- pretty much going through the entire Old Testament, with various archaeological discoveries-- some in the past, some very recent-- that have given evidence of the historical credibility of the Bible.

But before I do that, I have another little, tiny announcement. This is very exciting. For those of you who've been following the Sodom excavation project for-- I'd say it's been going on now for 12 years-- this winter we'll be going into our 13th excavation season. I'm very excited about that, because we're excavating in the palace-- the palace of King Barra, of the Sodom story. And we just got our first radiocarbon dates back from the destruction layer of Saddam. And I won't go into detail. I will just say it absolutely confirms what we knew all along from the ceramics, by that method of dating. And it confirms it, and we are very, very excited. Only an archaeologists would sit at his computer, see the technical report from Beta Analytic laboratories, and shed tears of joy. So yes, I love it. We're very excited about this. We have lots more carbon-14 dates coming, and it's been a long time coming.

Now, here's another announcement-- there's just tons of stuff. We haven't announced it because this is one of those things that we just-- you can't say anything about it. You can't even say "we hope it's going to happen", because if it doesn't happen, then you're disappointed and you have to explain it to everybody. So we have kept mum about it. For the last two or three years, I've been working with Veritas Evangelical Seminary in Santa Ana, California-- it's actually by the Calvary Costa Mesa campus. I've been teaching archeology for them for a long time, as well as directing the program here at DSU, and we decided about three years ago that we wanted to go for a fully-accredited Master of Arts PhD program in archeology and biblical history. And to make a long story short, we did all the accreditation's stuff the last three years on it. This summer we had the final accreditation meetings with the outside experts, and all that kind of stuff-- examination. And we are now approved by the accreditor's We have the only free standing-- this is amazing to me. With Veritas Evangelical University's-- Seminaries-- I'll talk about the name change in a second-- with Veritas, we now have the world's only freestanding archeology program-- MA PhD program in an evangelical institution, period-- on the planet. We're in.

Now, there is another PhD program in archeology, a terrific one at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary-- one of my Alma mater's-- but it's under the school of theology. It's a major under the school of theology. We approached ours as a freestanding archeology program. So we are, like, stoked. We are so excited to have that program. By the way, Veritas is changing its overarching name to Veritas International University. And I'm excited about that because, from an apologetics point of view, when you go into places like, you know, the Secular American schools of Oriental Research and the professional societies, and you're wearing a badge that says "seminary" on it, sometimes that's a little-- you have to kind of explain yourself. And you're looked down upon because "oh, you know, you're a Christian". You're somehow an evangelical. You're kind of spiritually minded, which means you can't do good archeology. But with the "international university" on there, it will be a little bit easier. And I have that experience with Trinity Southwest University, as well. That's why we changed the name years ago, to that. It just plays better, and we do everything we can-- take everything off the table that doesn't need to be there so we can deal with the facts.

So that's a whole bunch of stuff-- just exciting stuff. If you're thinking about going to get a seminary degree, a masters-- we even have a B.A. Program now-- accredited BA, MA, DMinn, PhD, MD, whatever you want, we have it available right here in Albuquerque. We're the only accredited evangelical seminary in an arc between Phoenix, Denver, and Dallas. Think of that whole space right here in Albuquerque, so you don't to leave. You can hang out here-- get all the degrees you need for the ministry that you want to pursue. All right, is the Old Testament historically reliable? I could say "yes", and sit down. I mean, we could sing the rest of the time. That wouldn't be much fun though, would it?

All right, a couple of quotations going in on the front end here. Israel Finkelstein-- I know Israel, well. We run into each other. We see each other all the time. He comes to my papers. I go to his papers at ASOR, and so on. Israeli-- probably one of the top two or three Israeli archaeologists. Here's what he said, "Combination of archaeological and historical research demonstrates that the biblical account of the conquest and occupation of Canaan by the Israelites is entirely divorced from historical reality." And by the way, that's pretty much the sentiment of the majority of archaeologists. Niels Peter Lemke-- look at this. "The patriarchal narratives are fiction, not reality. That world does not represent a real world. It stands outside the usual representation of time and space. As a matter of fact, neither the narratives nor their world can be dated to any precise period." In other words, it's just pure fiction. That's the kind of stuff we have to live with everyday in the world of archeology-- in the discipline of archeology, because most of the archaeologists take this position. They either don't care period about the Bible-- they don't think about it-- or, if they do, it's in this kind of vein.

Now, I'm gonna' let Kenneth Kitchen do some talking here, because Professor Kitchen, from the University of Liverpool, is one of the top ancient Near Eastern scholars in the world today. And let's let him-- I'm gonna' let him kind of open it, and I'm gonna' let him close it at the end, but let's just read a quote here. I love this. By the way, his great book-- this comes out of one of his books-- but his great book on the reliability of the Old Testament-- just get that. If you ever can't sleep, that's a go to go to for you. Here's what he says, "Increasingly extreme views about the Old Testament writings have been trumpeted loudly and proclaimed ever more widely and stridently. In the service of these views, all manner of gross misinterpretations of original, firsthand documentary data from the ancient Near East itself are now being shot forth in turn, to prop up these extreme stances on the Old Testament, regardless of the real facts of the case. And so, we must firmly say to philosophical cranks-- the politically correct, postmodernist, or whatever else-- 'your fantasy agendas are irrelevant in and to the real world, both of today and of all preceding time back to the remote antiquity. Get real or-- alas-- get lost.'" I love it. We wish they would get lost, but they don't, so we keep having to deal with them.

I want to open a little thing here that I like to call "the Bronze Age Bible." Now, why do I call it the Bronze Age Bible? Because the Bible, the Old Testament, is divided into two very distinct sections-- one belonging to the Bronze Age, and the later section belonging to the Iron Age. Now, of course, the Bronze Age-- we're talking about the third Millennium, the second Millennium BC-- and the Iron Age-- the second Millennium to the first Millennium BC. The Bronze Age Bible consists of Genesis through about the first half of the Book of Judges. So it's Genesis into Judges. The Iron Age part of the Bible goes from mid-point in the Book of Judges, down to the end of the Bible-- the Old Testament. So basically from Judges to Malachi-- Iron Age. Everything before that? Bronze Age. These are two very distinct periods-- very different culturally. The world internationally and locally is completely different in these two periods of time, and so, you would expect that each of those segments of the Bible would be authentic to those particular archaeological frames.

So, I will introduce to you now, some bits and pieces from what I call the Bronze Age Bible-- first five books plus Joshua plus about half of the Book of Judges. What I'm going to introduce to you here are things from the text that can be absolutely authenticated archaeologically, geographically, historically, that demonstrate the pristine accuracy of the biblical text to the time frames in which it is allegedly written. In this case, we're going to deal with the Bronze Age. Isn't it interesting that Genesis chapter 10 correctly identifies the Fertile Crescent? That is that geographical arc formed by Mesopotam-- I'm going to try to go your way. If I go this way, that's backwards to you-- from Mesopotamia all the way over to the Levant. OK. The Bible identifies that as "the cradle of civilization." And if we look at it, we can see that-- here's the ancient Near East, and there's that Fertile Crescent. The Bible identifies that as the place where civilization first emerges. Where urbanization-- where cities first come to bear in humanity. And so there it is. The Bible nails it. It's interesting that a book-- if like the critics want to say-- it's written by late Iron Age Judah high priests sometime around the fifth-sixth century BC-- if it's written really late-- if it's a piece of concocted, fiction, then how in the world did they somehow broaden their scope of origins to include everything that modern anthropology and archeology knows to be the case? How did they guess that? Most native people, by the way, see the creation of the world-- all the great events, everything leading up to their time, as happening in their locale-- like the Native Americans, right. "Everything happens right below our feet. We come out of the ground." But this is not what happens in the Bible. It shows the grand, international-- entire spectrum of what we know to be true historically as to the rise of civilization.

Moving right along. Abraham's covenants with Yahweh-- Genesis 15 and 17-- and with Abimelech in Genesis 21, match the unique structure of Middle Bronze Age treaties and contracts, not those of earlier or later periods. It's interesting that the structure, and details, and outlines of covenants, contracts, and treaties change through time in the ancient world. The ones in the early Bronze Age are different from the Middle Bronze Age, which are very different from the Late Bronze Age, and totally differ from the Iron Age. And guess what? When you analyze Yahweh's covenant with Abram, and Abrams covenant with Abimelech, they match no other period of time other than the Middle Bronze Age-- the authentic time for Abraham, according to the Bible. I think that's fabulous.

Here's another one-- oh, Sodom had to come up didn't it? I just want to read this. By the way, all of this stuff tonight is coming out of a chapter that I wrote for the new Harvest Handbook of Christian Apologetics. The chapter that they asked me to write on this title, tonight, "Is the Old Testament historically reliable?" And so, if you want to get a copy of that book when it comes out in the next few months, all of this is in that chapter.

Well, the Cities of the Kikkar, Sodom itself, we now know, in spite of the fact that so many scholars through the centuries or through the last two centuries have said it didn't exist at all, we now know that it was located in Tal Hamon in Jordan. We know that it was the largest continuously occupied city in the southern Levant during the Bronze Age. It had a lot of cities and towns around it. It's over 100 acres in occupational footprint. It has massive defenses, and ramparts, and gates, and palaces, and administrative buildings. It has a 2000 year history as a city-state, which matches up with Genesis chapter 10. And it met a horrible destruction toward the end of the Middle Bronze Age, in the time of Abraham. And the Bible says "burning stones and fire, from Yahweh out of the heavens, destroyed the city." It's exactly what we found. It was destroyed by a cosmic air-burst that wiped out an entire civilization 400 square kilometers north and east of the Dead Sea, in a flash. All that's being confirmed by the archaeological record. So this well-watered landscape was thus destroyed, and it laid barren and without any agriculture or settlements for the next 700 years. It was a complete and utter annihilation.

Well, just a quick look at some of the excavation at Sodom-- just a peek on the Acropolis. I love this. Leen Ritmeyer's recent cutaway reconstruction drawing of what we now call the grand gate way of Saddam. And also, our model, based on our excavations of 12 years on the city of Saddam-- what it looked like with its upper city and its lower city. So there it is. Not only did we excavate it, but we can also extrapolate what the city looked like.

Now, The Mosaic Law. Remember, we talked about Abraham's covenants. Abraham's covenants match the Middle Bronze Age. That's the time frame in which he lives. It's interesting that The Mosaic Law code conforms to a very distinct configuration of Hittite treaties from the Late Bronze Age, and no other time frame. Joshua and Moses belong to the Late Bronze Age. Moses's law code matches only literature, covenants, and treaties from that period, and none other. It's an amazing thing. By the way, why Hittite? How does Moses get hooked up with the Hittite's? Come to my archeology seminar on Tuesday night, 6:13 to 09:30, which meet every Tuesday night throughout the year, and you can discover how Moses got hooked up with the Hittites. The Bible doesn't tell us, but the historical record does. All right, so The Mosaic Law is authentic only to the Late Bronze Age. It can not have been written any time later. It is authentic to that one period, and that one period alone. The price of Joseph's slavery-- I like this one. Joseph was sold into slavery for 20 shekels, according to Genesis 37. Now, according to the Bible timeline-- the Bible chronology-- Joseph lives also in the Middle Bronze Age. If you take all of the contract and treaty documents, from all the cultures of the Near East in that period of time, and you analyze the price of slaves in all those trade documents-- you know what the average going price of a slave is in the Middle Bronze? Age You guessed it. It's 20 shekels. It's exactly as it should be. Nobody living 1,000 years later in an Iron Age would be able to guess such a thing, because you know what the going price of a slave was in the Iron Age? Upwards of 120 to 160 shekels. There was inflation, lots of it.

The Exodus events. Egypt's greatest dynasty in their history was the 18th dynasty. Now, the 18th dynasty is spectacular-- I wish we could talk about it-- but just a couple of sentences about it. It collapsed as a result of the Exodus event. The greatest dynasty in the history of Egypt came crashing down, as a result of all those terrible things, that the Bible describes, that occurred to Egypt in the time of the Exodus-- the plundering of Egyptian wealth, the loss of a large labor force, the decimation of Egypt's northern military forces, and the loss of Pharaoh himself-- none other than Tuthmosis IV. By the way, we just got some confirmation from the Jericho excavators about some very key things that absolutely support that Tuthmosis IV is, in fact, the Pharaoh of the Exodus. We don't have time to get into that, but we now know him. We know him well. This is the only dynastic collapse in Egypt, during the entire Late Bronze Age. I don't care whether you take an early date for the Exodus or a late date for the Exodus, in all that time frame, there is only one collapse of Egypt-- Egypt is flying high the rest of the time. There's only one time of disastrous collapse, and that's after the death of Tuthmosis IV. So this is exactly-- this dynastic collapse is exactly what one would predict, if the events of the Exodus actually occurred. What's interesting about this is it's precisely, exactly happening-- collapsing when the Bible says the Exodus occurred. It's amazing, isn't it? Is that a coincidence? I don't think so. Love this guy-- he's a little beef jerky-ish, but he looks pretty good for a mummy. This is Tuthmosis IV. Wow. How many pharaohs-- how many kings in the history of the world can you look into their face? How many Bible characters can you look into their actual face? That's the mug to which Moses expressed "let my people go." Those pierced ears heard Moses's voice. There he is. Is it cool or what? I love this guy. There is one of his monuments. You see there's some artistic liberty. And I love his name.

By the way, you can go to the Museum of Archeology here at TSU, and you can see a scarab, or a natural seal from his time, with his name on it. And the seal name here says "min"-- see the bug? "Min." That's how you pronounce it. "Min." I'm sorry, the comb is "min"-- the comb, which I don't need. See little comb? "Min", then the bug, "kefir", then the three little lines, "ooh", and then the sun symbol at the top-- you always go to the top-- "rah." His name is "Min-Kefir-Ooh-Rah." That's his throne name. They had five names actually, each pharaoh. This is his throne name-- Min-Kefir-Ooh-Rah, Tuthmosis IV, Pharaoh of the Exodus, and it is exactly right. We're going to see some more. Look at this-- the Exodus itinerary. That is all of the places-- the named locations-- through which the Israelites passed, as they took this rather crazy circuitous route out of Egypt, and all around it, eventually wound up at Sinai. That Exodus itinerary in numbers 23-- numbers 33-- tracks along known trade routes, that are well-attested from Egyptian map lists of the Late Bronze Age. We have lists from Ramses the Great, and going back to Amenhotep the Second. We even have some lists going back to Moses the Second, I believe. So several map lists on monuments. And what they do is they track roots going out from Egypt in various directions, and the Canaan route actually lists every location mentioned in numbers 23, in the exact same order, going all the way up to Nebo. It's really incredible.

So the Exodus story, geographically, is confirmed by the Egyptians themselves. It's really amazing. Slave costs, and we've looked at slave costs in Joseph's time, which was what? 20 shekels in the Middle Bronze Age, a few hundred years before Moses. Let's get down to the time of Moses. According to Exodus 21, in the Mosaic Law, the cost to replace a slave was 30 shekels. Guess what? The average going price of a slave during the Late Bronze Age was 30 shekels. What's interesting about this is the Bible writer even records the subtle inflationary curve of slave prices from the Middle Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age. It's amazing. Now, nobody can guess this kind of stuff. He can't go centuries and centuries later, and have Israelites concocting stories like this, and getting it all right-- getting these details. It's not possible. And there it is-- one of many proofs of the accuracy of the biblical text. I love this one. A lot of people haven't thought about this. I've never seen anybody write about it. You can read about it in the museum. Israelite literacy.

Do you know, there was no public literacy for Moses? Isn't that interesting? Why was the lack of public literacy a help to the great empires, and to the kingdoms of the ancient world? Why was it preferred to keep the masses illiterate? Because information is power. And power, in their minds, needed to reside solely in the hands of their monarchs, and of their Royals. That's it. You keep the people ignorant. God wanted the Israelites to have the power in their own hands, and the power was the word of God-- especially the law. How do we know that God demanded-- God commanded literacy of the Israelite? Let me just read this little paragraph. Yahweh required literacy of Israel-- that's Deuteronomy 27, I'll quote it in a second-- in preparation for which the Semitic alphabet was invented in Egypt during the centuries, when the Israelites sojourned there. Remember? From the time of Joseph and Jacob, okay? From that time, the alphabet was invented. And that same alphabet chronologically followed the Israelites into the Sinai wilderness and into Canaan, tracing their biblical presence thought to all these locations. Now, I thought writing was invented way back around 3,000-3,300 BC. Hieroglyphics, Mesopotamian cuneiform-- all of those are not alphabets. Those are writing systems, and they're very complex, with hundreds of characters-- very difficult to learn. In fact, nobody can learn it, except for a scribe who, from the time of being a young child, learns for many, many years how to write those systems. An alphabet is a simplification, somewhere between 20 and 30 letters, reflecting the range of human vocalization, so that you can write in any language with an alphabet. A small number of characters in a fixed order, so that an adult of average intelligence can learn to read and even write in a weekend-- in a week. In two weeks, you can do it. Now why would such an alphabet be invented?

By the way, how many times has an alphabet been invented, in the history of the world? One. Okay, the Cherokee alphabet, but that's artificial. One. One time in the history of the world, the alphabet comes forth. And every other alphabet we know of-- from Arabic to Hebrew to Russian to Greek-- all is a derivative of that same initial alphabet-- Semitic alphabet. All comes from the same root, that that alphabet. That alphabet is invented when the Israelites were in Egypt, follows the Israelites around in into Sinai, into the Sinai wilderness, and up into Kayna wherever they go, according to the proper date that the Bible describes. It's exactly it. Now, why? Now, let's go back to Deuteronomy 27. Yahweh said to Joshua and Moses-- he said, "When the Israelites get ready to cross the Jordan, on the opposite bank-- on the West Bank in the promised land, I want you to set up three large standing stones. And I want you to plaster them over with plaster. And I want you to write upon them all the words of the law." That's a command of literacy. He says, "as the Israelites go in, each Israelite will read the words of the law." It's a big billboard-- all the words of the law. By the way, now you know why Hebrew goes from right to left, because it must have been on the right side as they come in on the shore, right? "Oh, we're going this way, so we gotta' read it right to left as we move into the promised land." And by the way, ancient languages can be read left to right, right to left, up, down, sideways, and diagonally. They just somehow settle on right to left.

So, God wanted the Israelites to be able to read. Why? Because he wanted the Israelites to read the law, memorize the law, know the law, and hold their leaders accountable to the law. First-- a first in history. And that alphabet is the key to accomplishing that. It's amazing to me. All right, Canaanite religious practices. You go to the law-- to the Mosaic Law-- and all through the Mosaic Law there are prohibitions left and right, dealing directly with the religions of Canaan-- the practices of these religions-- child sacrifice, ritual prostitution. All kinds of stuff you really can't talk about children's Sunday school. But it's all laid out in the Mosaic Law. It's very clear.

Now, Bronze Age religious practices are detailed in Genesis through Joshua-- we see it. Not only did the mosaic narratives accurately depict the gods, goddesses, and cult practices of Canaan, but also the books of Joshua and Judges reveal how the Israelites rebelled against Yahweh to embrace these very pagan beliefs. All of this is confirmed dramatically in the archaeological record. Everything the Bible talks about-- every god, every pagan god, every goddess, every practice, everything about the Canaanite cult's is confirmed in the archaeological record. We see it. And unfortunately, and sadly, as the biblical record describes, we see it in the Israelite communities.

So it's exactly what the Bible describes, Joshua's conquest. Joshua conquered an Egyptian-less Canaan. Remember, all the way from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Joshua, God promised-- here's what God said to all of them, "I am going to bring you into a land-- a promised land-- in which there are Canaanites, Amorites, and Hittites--" those are the three biggies. And then you got, you know, Hibites, Jebusites, parasites, termites, all those other folks-- "but never Egyptians." Never are Egyptian's mentioned as being part of Canaan. Now, this is interesting because-- let me just finish reading this-- because precisely at the right historical moment, in the midst of the 18th dynasty collapse, and withdrawal from Canaan as a result of the Exodus event, we have an Egyptian list Canaan.

The first half of the Late Bronze Age, from around 1550 to about 1,400 BC, is known as the Egyptian domination of the Levant. It's known as the time-- books are written about it-- the time of the Egyptian domination of the Levant. It wasn't just Egyptian domination. The Egyptian border had been moved from the Palusiak branch of the Nile, north to the Euphrates river.

Egypt. It became Egypt. It was controlled by an iron-fist for much of this period. By Egypt. It was the collapse of the 18th dynasty at the time of the Exodus that caused the Egyptians to withdraw entirely from Syria and Canaan. So that by the time Joshua came into the land, there were no Egyptians. None of the promises of Yahweh to give this land to Israel ever mentioned Egyptians in Canaan, and neither are Egyptian troops mentioned in Joshua's campaigns. If Joshua had entered into Canaan three or four years before he did, he would have had to fight Egyptians, not local Canaanites. He'd have had to fight the Egyptians. But they are now gone.

It is no coincidence that in the decades following the death of Pharaoh Tuthmosis the Fourth-- the Pharaoh of the Exodus-- during who's short reign the terrible events had occurred, Egypt withdrew from its Asiatic territories, leaving Joshua to take the promised land with no threat of Egyptian interference or retaliation. I think it's stunning to realize that when Joshua came into Canaan, he took Canaan at its low ebb. By the way, the Egyptians had kept Canaan depopulated on purpose. Slave raids-- just go through and murder a bunch of people to keep those Asiatic numbers down. Keep them under control. And in the process, the Egyptians weakened Canaan so that, when the Egyptians leave, Joshua shows up on the doorstep of the promised land, crosses the river, and is able to conquer a land that has been depleted by the Egyptians. But the Egyptians are long gone. God promised them an Egyptian-less Canaan, and they got an Egyptian-less Canaan. That's a stunning historical fact. It's also an amazing fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

The battle of Jericho. Joshua takes Jericho in the mid-14th century, 40 years after the death of the Exodus Pharaoh Tuthmosis the Fourth. It's an archeological fact that there was no Late Bronze Age settlement at Jericho in the first part of the Late Bronze Age. There was nothing before the 14th century BC at Jericho, and there was nothing after the 14th century BC Jericho, all the way down to about 1,000 BC. Jericho has no occupation, except for a short period of time. In fact, about a 50 year occupation, from sometime around 1,400 to sometime in the middle of the 14th century. That's it. In other words, there is only one possible fortified Jericho that could have been the city of Rahab. "Rehab" as we say in Oklahoma. Ray-hab. Rah-hab. That's historical precision. That's amazing. The Bible says exactly when Joshua comes to town. It just so happens that that's the only Jericho available to destroy, in the whole Late Bronze Age. Just that little period of time. Voila.

The people of Israel. Merneptah Stela-- around 1210 to 1205, somewhere in there. This is Ramses the Great's 80-year-old son, who finally came to the throne after Ramses the Great rule for 64 years. One of his younger sons, Merneptah's. In the 80s, he comes to the throne. He puts up this stela. And what he wants to confirm is that-- he conquers everybody around. It's just a brag. It's not really true. But, he confirms that Israel was well-enough established in Canaan to be recognized by Pharaoh Merneptah as one of the perennial enemies, or "Nine Bows" of Egypt. On this stela, Israel is designated, by a very particular hieroglyphic symbol, as a people-- not a nation with a King. A people group. Which is spot on. It is exactly correct.

Now, here's the Merneptah Stela. And on this, by the way, it's a brag. It's not true. By the way, this is 1210. This is not too far after the time of the Exodus. Israel, by this time-- by the way, if Yul Brynner is the Pharaoh of the Exodus-- if you catch my drift. If Ramsay's the greatest fear of the Exodus, and the Israelite Exo-- which would make the Israelite Exodus some time around 1250, or so. 1210?

I mean, somewhere in the 1200s. How can his son's stela confirm Israel as one of the nine perennial enemies of Egypt already, if it just barely happened? Well, you have to move that Exodus backward. You have give the Israelites time to forge out their territory. And to flesh it out, and to control it, and to be recognized as a perennial enemy of Egypt.

Here's what it says. It says, "Israel,"-- and again, this is a brag-- "Israel, his seed is no more." It's what Merneptah says about Israel. This is the first mention of Israel in an ancient document, outside the Bible. I title this one "Smite, Smote, Smitten." Do you love verbs? English ones-- they're just weird, the way they do that.

The phrase in the Bible "to smite with the edge of the sword" is an idiom, derived from the single-edge, curved battle axes of the middle and Late Bronze Age-- the final form of which was a very elegant weapon called a sickle sword, because it's shaped like a sickle, with a cutting edge on its outer curve. These were hacking, or smiting swords, with no thrusting point. They just have a curved-edge, like a scimitar, and a single edge. And you don't stab somebody with it, you hacked them with it. Thus, to smite with the edge-- singular-- to smite with the edge of the sword was an apt description of this class of weaponry.

By the end of Iron Age I, around 1,000 BC-- that'd be about the beginning of King David's reign-- the sickle sword was completely extinct. I'd say all but extinct, but it's pretty much done for. It's gone from history. It was replaced, of course, by the straight, pointed, double-edged sword. The typical sword that we think of from antiquity.

Now, it's no coincidence that this idiom of smiting with the edge-- singular-- of the sword is connected only with passages of scripture that belong to the Bronze Age part of the Bible, not those that belong to the Iron Age part of the Bible. It appears 24 times in the Bronze Age scriptures, but trails off shortly after the Book of Judges. It's not found again-- hardly at all. It's interesting. The idiom dies out in common use after its namesake "sickle sword" disappeared from history. Is that a coincidence?

Now, here's a sickle sword. You can see this one in the museum. You can hold it in your hand-- just don't cut yourself. "To smite with the edge of the sword"-- the sickle sword. Here's one you might not guess at. The Philistines and our buddy Homer-- Iliad. Odyssey. All of those? Homer's Iliad confirms the authenticity of an Aegean-style ritual sequence enacted by the Philistines and 1 Samuel 5-6. Wow, that's weird. I mean-- I don't have time to go into it, but there's a ritual sequence, with about six points of ritual, that's described in 1 Samuel 5-6.

By the way, it has to do with the-- remember when the Philistines stole the ark of the covenant from Israel? That's this. And in every place the ark of the covenant went, in all the cities of the Philistines, God struck the-- God has a great sense humor-- he struck them with-- I love the good-old King James rendering of that-- hemorrhoids. So every place the ark went, the Philistines were not sitting comfortably. So they pushed it off to another location. And it did this little tour around Philistia until it got to the city of Ekron, and they had had enough.

They said, "send this God begging thing back to the Israelites." But how do we-- we stole this from their God. How do you return such an object? Well, we know from the Book of Homer that the Mycenaean Greeks had a very specific ritual sequence for returning a stolen object to a God or a King. And it's mirrored precisely, even to the sacrifice of the bowls, to the placing of the golden mice and tumors on the oxcarts-- all this kind of stuff, it's all there. Guess what? The Philistines, we know for a fact, are the descendants of the Mycenaean Greeks. It's amazing. How did you think you could connect the Bible with Homer? It's amazing.

All right. Quickly, on our last couple of minutes here, the Iron Age Bible. David and Solomon. If you take David and Solomon's little mini-empire that they carved out between Mesopotamia and Egypt-- if you look at that, we could predict its existence, if the Bible didn't even exist. Take the Bible away, we would still predict a kingdom would exist in that territory, exactly where David and Solomon's kingdom is located. How do we know that? Because we know where all the kingdoms are around it. We know their territory is historically, and there's a big gap right in the middle. So scholars who say, "well, the size of King David's and Solomon's territory is just-- it's nonsensical. It's not historical." Yes, it is. We would even predict that such a kingdom would exist, even if the Old Testament were not in our possession.

The Davidic dynasty was long pooh-poohed by various scholars as completely mythical-- completely legend. David's name had never been found outside the text of the Bible until, back in the 1990s, guess what? A little text came. A fragment of an Aramean text called the Tel Dan Stela, or the Tel Dan Inscription, mentions the house-- that is to say the dynasty of David-- and an Egyptian inscription refers to the heights of-- that's one in Egypt-- mentions the "heights of David", that is the central highland location of Hebron and Jerusalem, two of David's capital cities, confirming that King David was a historical figure.

The Egyptians talk about the heights of David, and the Aramean inscription, which also mentioned several other biblical characters, talks about the dynasty of David. Even the Mesha Stela, which is a 19th century stela which I'm not going to get into tonight-- it mentions the Israelite King Amri, but in that same stela, it also likely refers to the House of David. It has, not just the "bytvd", but the "bytd". byt-- "house of"-- d-- we just have the first letter. There's nothing else it could be-- it's probably house of David, as well. So now we have at least two, and probably three, references to King David as a historical figure. Here is the Tel Dan Stela. We have a replica of this in the museum. And you can see here-- and you can read it, "bytdvd." There it is. House of David.

Solomon's wealth. After King Solomon died, Shoshenq the First, our biblical Shishak, came racing in during the time of his son Rehoboam He plundered Jerusalem's palace and temple, and, according to Egyptian records, Shoshenq died just one year after plundering Jerusalem. His son, Osorkon the First, after barely three years of being on the throne, made some very spectacular gifts to the Egyptian gods, including one offering that equaled 383 tons of silver and gold.

That's a lot. At this rather depressed time in Egyptian history, where did all of this vast wealth come from? This is not a high-part of Egyptian history. This is the low, very bad, terrible time in Egyptian history, called the Late period. So at this depressed time an Egyptian economy, where does Osorkon get this massive wealth? It is very likely from Solomon's treasures, that his Father brought back to Egypt. Is this a coincidence? No, I don't think so. I think it matches up with the historical record quite nicely.

Hezekiah and Sennacherib. The Prism of Sennacherib records an Assyrian invasion of 46 fortified Judean cities, including Jerusalem under Hezekiah, also recorded in 2 Kings 18 and 19, and Isaiah 36 and 37. In this account that is on the Sennacherib prism-- in this account of his third campaign, Sennacherib describes his victories over several Levantine kingdoms, after which he encountered the Egyptian Army. The Egyptian commander is not named in Sennacherib annuls, he is named in the Old Testament as Taharqa, in 2 Kings 19 and Isaiah 37, who was a Nubian ruler, who later became Pharaoh Taharwa of Egypt. Look at that intertwining of the historical record-- the Egyptian record, the biblical record. The Egyptian record giving us insight into the biblical record. The biblical record given us insight into Sennacherib's identification of the Egyptian general that he encountered. It's really amazing

Here's Sennacherib's Prism. Here's what he says about Hezekiah on the prism. He says-- by the way, there's at least three of these in different museums. They made copies of them in antiquity-- "As for Hezekiah, I shut him up like a caged bird in his royal city of Jerusalem." By the way, the Sennacherib's Prism does not say that's Sennacherib conquered Jerusalem, or that he destroyed it. It says he laid siege to it. What does the Bible say?

Overnight, the angel of Yahweh destroyed-- killed all of his troops. Whoops. Through that prism, he says, "I went to Judea. I conquered this city, and that city. I conquered it. I destroyed it." Over, and over, and over. He get's to Jerusalem, he says, "I laid siege."-- never says he destroyed it. Never says he conquered it. Why? The Bible gives us the reason-- the angel of Yahweh destroyed the army of Sennacherib. Pretty amazing.

Last one. Daniel and Belshazzar. The Nabonidus Cylinder sets the record straight on the accuracy of Daniel, by confirming that his son Belshazzar was, in fact, the last ruling monarch in Babylon the night it fell to the Medes and the Persians. That's confirmed in the record, but it was never known before the discovery of this set of cylinders mentioning Nabonidus, his son, and his rule over Babylon-- his son Belshazzar. The name Balshazzar in the book of Daniel was laughed at as being non-historical because that name had never been seen in any other historical source, except the Bible. And it was finally confirmed by archeology that Belshazzar was, in fact, the last ruling monarch in the city of Babylon when it fell to the Medes and the Persians. Now, here are the cylinders of Nabonidus. And there are bunches of those.

I'm going to Kenneth Kitchen's close us out here, with this little quote. "The theory's current in Old Testament studies, however brilliantly conceived and elaborated, were mainly established in a vacuum with little or no reference to the ancient Near East, and initially too often in accordance with the a priori philosophical and literary principles. It is solely because the data from the ancient Near East coincides so much better with the existing observable structure of Old Testament history, literature, and religion than with the theoretical reconstructions, that we are compelled-- as happens in ancient oriental studies-- to question or even to abandon such theories regardless of their popularity. Facts, not votes, determine the truth. And the Bible stands true. And as I always say, the Bible and the spade do go hand in hand. God bless you. Thank you.

What binds us together is devotion to worshipping our Heavenly Father, dedication to studying His word, and determination to proclaim our eternal hope in Jesus Christ. For more teachings from Calvary Albuquerque and Skip Heitzig, visit calvaryabq.org.

Message SummaryEver wonder why or how Jesus prays for us and that if we know He does, how should we really be acting and thinking? Our guest speaker Pastor Bill brings out the vital points of prayer teaching how Jesus prays for us. The Apostles and Disciples hear the beautiful words of their master as Jesus speaks to His Father about us. As we hear and read the prayers of Jesus we must never forget that Jesus is full of thoughts of us and He will be praying for those who love him. So, do you want to know what Jesus prays for you?

Message SummaryPaul was a man who went to the people; he did not wait for the people to come to him. Are you waiting for those to hear you preach or teach or are you willing to go out and bring the gospel to men? Senior Pastor Tom Stipe of Crossroads Church in Denver brings us a vital message from the book of ACTS concerning our approach in preaching the gospel and uses Paul as the example of how a single man brought the gospel to folks in his sphere of influence. Pastor Tom challenges us to not be afraid or have fear when we do preach the gospel. Are you willing to step out and be confronted by the public, friends or loved ones? God did through Jesus, so why not you?

Message SummaryDo you believe every thing you see and hear? Do you know how to discern what is true and what is false? Would you recognize a false prophet? Senior Pastor Paul Scozzafava, from Calvary Santa Fe, gives us three import things to understand in our daily walk of our Christian life that will help us discern what is good and right and who it is that is not. Be sure of who you are and who you belong to, for God, through Jesus, will have it no other way. So, do you know?

Message SummaryWho among us has not failed? Who among us can truthfully say I can make it on my own? The Israelites failed and walked in disobedience, but God used and allowed circumstances to bring His people back to a place of worship. Pastor Greg Opean presents a stimulating message of returning to the God of our lives as we read in the Book of Ezra how the people met and rebuilt the alter of God to renew their worship with God.

Message SummaryHow shall we live if we are so loved? How should we act if we are given so much? And how is it that we still cling to things that will be burned up? Peter advises believers on how to live in the face of scoffers and mockers. He urges the believer to live in a way that is unmovable in perilous times. Pastor Dave Row delivers a stimulating message from 2 Peter on how we are to live knowing that the Lord is coming. If we know this then, Beloved How Shall We Live? The answer is holy, wholly, and ready at any moment for the coming of our Lord!

Message SummaryDo you drink from the communion cup to merely quench your physical thirst or do you drink it in communion with the body of Christ and with the Lord as your focus? Paul writes to the Corinthian church stressing the importance of putting aside selfishness and coming together for the right reasons. Pastor Dave Row brings thought provoking insights into the real communion of the body of Christ and why we join to celebrate the remembrance of Jesus. So, do you simply enjoy the meal on the table or do you enjoy the One who put the food on the table?

Message SummaryHave you ever said something concerning God and knew that it was not from you? Or have you ever done something for someone that was good and you knew it was way out of your character? Well you're not alone. Paul did many things concerning the work of God and knew that God gave him the Divine Breathings of the Holy Spirit to do them. Guest speaker Pastor Ray Bentley provides thought provoking words that will stir you to evaluate your prayer life and your walk in Christ before others.

Message SummaryIs it true that All you need is love? The rock group The Beatles seemed to think so, Paul the Apostle thought so, and you should also think so. Love is what God is all about, for love is the very nature of God. Pastor Dave Row speaks to us about love, what it is, and what it is not. Pastor Dave shares from the book of I Corinthians, Chapter 13, breaking down the elements of love. If there is one thing you can count on concerning love, it is that Love Never Fails. Pastor Row presents three aspects of love that we should know, including The Significance of Love, The Substance of Love, and The Superiority of Love.

Message SummaryGod tells us to be still and to know that He is God. Do you rest in Him when the storms come, or do you run to the confines of your mind to figure things out? David knew God and the peace and rest that can be found in Him. Pastor Don McClure reminds us of a different world where we should dwell as we grow in our understanding of the things God would have us to do in times of trouble. Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that He is God. Are you too busy to know God on a deep level or do you dwell in the throne room of your Lord and receive His strength for your refuge? God has a plan for you and it can only be for good. Step into His world and know Him.

Message SummaryHas God broken you? Have you remained humble? What does it take to live in a place of brokenness so you will be readily used by God? In Psalm 51, David speaks about how God will use a contrite and broken heart. Pastor Chip Lusko brings insight into this Psalm as we hear how brokenness forms a beauty that God delights in. Are you willing to be broken or will you remain aloof and hope God will use you? Think about it.

Message SummaryHave you longed to be used by God? What does it take to be used of God? Nehemiah prepared his heart with prayer and fasting, David prepared his heart during a long night with the sheep. Both Nehemiah and David knew the God of their fathers. Pastor Robert Furrow provides clarity from the book of Nehemiah with insights on "Having a Usable Heart Before God." If you desire to be used by God you will need to have a Usable Heart Before God.

Message SummaryDo we have blessings from God? If so, do we know what they are? In the book of Matthew we find a list of blessings that Jesus proclaims can be ours. Pastors Nelson Walker, Dale Coffing, Neil Ortiz, and Alan Brooks joined together to bring us insight into the Beatitudes. We should be encouraged to personalize these blessings for digestion into our soul.

Message SummaryWhat does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? How do you know if you are filled with the Holy Spirit? The book of Ephesians helps us understand what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Pastor John Miller conveys four key points on how to be filled with the Holy Spirit and the consequence of this filling of the Spirit.

Message SummaryNews media resources count on names such as "Eyewitness News" or "Action News" because these names say something about their mission. Have you been faithful to repeat what you have seen or heard about Jesus Christ? The Book of 1 John gives us keen insight into the heart of John as Pastor Dave Rowe elaborates on the writings of John from the perspective of joy. Pastor Dave challenges us to seek this joy by telling others about Jesus. So, as you share about Jesus, notice that your joy becomes complete.

Message SummaryWhat foods do you enjoy and how much do you enjoy them? Jesus had food that the disciples thought they understood, but clearly they where thinking on an earthly plain. Senior Pastor Dave Row takes us to a place that will challenge our hearts and minds as we learn just what The Perfect Diet is for us. Pastor Dave gives us several things to consider as we look at the perspective of the Apostles versus the perspective of Jesus. So, are you eating junk or do you have a heavenly diet?

Message SummaryCan light and darkness join as one? Can God take away our darkness and bring us into the glorious light? The Apostle John writes in 1 John that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. This statement is the very truth that gives us hope for our God is holy and full of light. Many may offer light, but only One is the true light and that One is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. So, what is your light?

Message SummaryDoes God really speak to us? If so, how does this happen? If it does happened, how do I know what He's saying? These are good questions and a young King David learned the answers to these questions in God's outdoor classroom. God speaks to us in a still small voice and gives us His word to confirm His love for us. You can know that God does speak to us today by becoming His child and reading His word. In these ways we can see how God leads us from glory to glory. So, how about you? Are you tuning in on the right frequency or are you still dialing through the world of stations?

Message SummarySome questions are hard to ask sometimes, especially if those questions are directed at us. Questions like "Do we really love God?", "How do we know we love God?", and "What does it look like to love God?" can really be tough. Many good men strive to do what is right, but unless we know God and we follow His commandments we do not know the truth. John writes words aimed at helping us understand the free will choice we have to make daily to love God. So, if you really want to understand what it means to have a deep love for God or to know where you stand, just listen to what John has to say to us through the Holy Spirit.

Message SummaryWhat does it take to keep a promise or vow? Do we really understand the commitment of keeping our words? In the book of Judges Samson clearly demonstrates that he neither understood nor took seriously the instructions of his parents concerning the keeping of the Nazirite vow. We will see that compromise leads to more compromise and ultimately to our demise. But God is gracious and if we repent and turn from our evil ways God will, as He did with Samson, grant us grace. So, when you sign that paper, say those words, or make that promise…, be sure you understand what it's all about.

Message SummaryAs a believer, are you ready to choose between the passing pleasures of sin or staying the course even if you are called to suffer? The way you live your life is a testimony to the internal nature of your convictions. Any way that leads away from the Lord leads to destruction. This world and its destructive lusts will come to an end, but one who is continually doing the will of God has a front row seat to eternity. Where is your seat located, in the aisle of destruction or on the front row or eternity?

Message SummaryJesus Christ is risen! It's not about a fancy holiday outfit, candy, or anything other than the fact that He is risen. Are you passionate about your walk with Him? Are you committed to do the things He calls you to? Considering the love He has for each one of us, the sacrifice He made for each one of us, and the depth of knowledge He has about each one of us, can we offer anything less than a passionate commitment to everything He has for us? Do you really want anything less than His best in for life? Join us for a very special Easter message by guest teacher Ryan Dobson, entitled The Power of Passion.

Message SummaryAre you willing to stand up for the cross of Christ, or are you content to hear only what you want to believe? How do you know who the real believers are, and if you do recognize them are you willing to follow? John writes in 1 John 2:18-29 about how to recognize the real Christian and how to spot the false one. The marks of a true believer are clear to all as John speaks of the telltale attributes of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. So, are you among the true believes or are you sitting in with those who really oppose the Gospel of Christ?

Message SummaryWhat power do you know of that can raise a person from the dead and then give a promise to do the same for you? We all were dead in our sins, but through the resurrection of Christ we now have the re-birth needed to live. Paul writes to the Philippians about the Power of a Resurrected Life as part of the knowledge we need to live a life before those who do not know Jesus. Paul showed us, as Christ did, that to live is to die and to die is to live only through a resurrected life. There is power we can know only if we know the One who bore our sins and gave us eternal life. If you want to know that power, the Apostle Paul has some words for you.

Message SummaryHow would you describe the state of your family life? Is it close, comforting, and encouraging? Or is it not quite what you had always hoped for? As Christians, we are part of God's family, the family of all families. We are bathed in His love and have access to all of the benefits of being His children. But if we abandon His invitation to join this family we automatically become members of the family of sin and there simply are no benefits associated with this family. So think about which family portrait you would like to be part of – God's Family Portrait or Sin's Family Portrait.

Message SummaryDo you ever ask yourself when all of your hard work will finally pay off? If you are a Christian, you are on a deferred payment plan. You might be rewarded here on earth, but the real benefits are gained in heaven. Who and what are you working for today? If it's self and earthly gain, you're missing out on the best that the Lord has for you.

Message SummaryChristians are commanded to love, but who are we commanded to love? How do we express that love? Why should we love? As we delve deeper into what it means to be a child of God, we will learn about four different types of love, how this love is to be applied, and the reasons for loving one another. So perform a quick self-test on your heart and prepare to be challenged and encouraged as you learn more about applying godly love in your life.

Message SummaryWe all face challenges, difficulties, and heartbreak in this life, but not all of us turn to the same place for comfort and direction. When faced with crisis, where do you turn? Do you become disappointed with the Lord and fall away, or do you run to Him and seek His shelter? Join Pastor David Rosales as he provides Biblical insight on how we should answer the age old question Will You Go Away?

Message SummaryHow concerned are you with what is true and what is not? Are you willing to jump on the latest craze, trend, or system of beliefs? Have you stopped to consider the source? We all serve somebody and their particular ideas and events. The driving force behind all that we think and do should be Jesus Himself through His Holy Spirit. Join Pastor Dave Row as he gives us Biblical reasons and methods for testing every spirit and avoiding the voice of the enemy.

Message SummaryWhere does genuine faith come from? Is it inherited or does it come from being loved and nurtured? Or could it be a combination of these two factors? What does genuine faith look like? Is there a process or method involved in attaining it? Join Pastor Dave Row as he teaches about the true source of genuine faith and the role we should take in helping others along their journey in developing their faith.

Message SummaryAs we celebrate the work of our Lord and Savior during this Communion service, think back about 2,000 years ago to the very first Lord's Supper. We celebrate today in much the same manner as they did so very long ago. Join us as we delve deeper into this celebration that all believers are commanded to partake of on a regular basis. Come with us as we look Communion from three different perspectives; the past, the present, and the future.

Message SummaryWe have all gone through times when we wondered if we could make it even one more hour. We have all been on the verge of a breakdown, but where did you seek refuge? Did you withdraw and suffer alone? Did you turn to a friend or loved one for help? Join Pastor Al Pittman as he sheds light on how we can experience a breakthrough in the midst of a breakdown by relying on our faith in the Lord, being broken before Him, and having intimate times prayer and fellowship with Him. Through His presence in the life of every believer, He has already given us all that we need to successfully transition from breakdown to breakthrough.

Message SummaryWhen others describe you, what do they say? Are you described as a great business person, a scholar, or an athlete? While these descriptions are not bad, they are lacking the key ingredient that marks us as believers. This key ingredient is love. Join Pastor Dave Row as he delves deeper into The Love of God, what it means to the believer, and how it can forever change a lost and hurting world.

Message SummaryAll of us have read books and some of those books stirred our hearts but did you know that the Bible can stir your heart to know and understand the deep truths of God? In II Timothy we read that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, correction, reproof and instruction in righteousness. Why? So that we may know how to dispel false doctrine and equip others to stand in the faith they have been given. What do you think about the word of God and do you believe that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God? Timothy writes to us by the Holy Spirit that we can know and be assured that the word of God is the Word of God…, and that's a fact you can believe and know, so get into the word and live.

Message SummaryWhat are you afraid of and why? Did you know that God says to fear not? Did you know that your past and future is in God by Jesus Christ and you have not need to fear? Perfect love casts out fear as the Apostle John writes in First John Chapter 4, if a man fears he is not made perfect in love. All of God's love is for us and in us, so if you really want to know God's love you must abide in Him and He will abide in you. Yes, God is for you and loves you completely, but, will you let Him?

Message SummaryDo you know of anyone who would die for you? Do you know anyone that would trade their life of liberty for your life of sin and death? There is one who did all that for you, Jesus Christ is that one. The book of Romans, chapter 5 discusses the love of God and how God chooses to demonstrate it. God looked down from this Holy thrown and saw you and loved you and wanted you and sent His Son to die, all so He could have you for His own…, but you must choose that…, will you? Think about it.

Message SummaryHow do you view the inevitable disappointments that you encounter in your life? Do they weigh you down and affect your walk with the Lord? Do they cause you to question how or even if He cares for you? In tonight's lesson we will look at disappointment very carefully. We will examine its nature, learn how we can trust God in the face of it, and look at some of the ways He uses it to further His work through us. Join Pastor Neil Ortiz as he sheds new light on a topic that affects us all.

Message SummaryWhy would anyone be interested in finding where a city such as Sodom was once located? Is it a matter of simple curiosity, or is there a deeper, more important reason to pursue such an endeavor? Join Dr. Steven Collins as he shares valuable information about what he and his associates have found and why it is important to all believers.

Message SummaryNothing tastes better on a hot day than a tall, cold glass of water. It refreshes the body like nothing else can. When life starts to get you down or a little hot under the collar, where do you go for refreshment? Join Pastor Bill Goodrich as he shares insight and information on how we need to pray to bring about a spiritual revival that will refresh our souls more completely than that cool water can refresh our bodies.

Message SummaryWe all have all experienced times when things just seems to go wrong. It may be a conflict with someone close to us, an illness, or any one of a number of issues or events that seem bent on bringing us down. How do you respond in these times? As believers, we do not need to live a defeated life. Though we may face persecution, physical pain, or sorrow, there is joy that overpowers it all because God has put His Spirit within us. Join Pastor Dave Row as he continues in this teaching series through the book of 1 John and learn more about possessing a potent faith that is available to all believers.

Message SummaryHow would you define your role in the church? Are you involved with the youth? Do you greet people as they come through the doors? Do you pray for others in the body? What ever your role, realize that you are an integral part of the ministry. It takes an entire body of believers acting upon what God has called them to do to make a church. Join Pastor Alan Brooks as he sheds more light on who we, as members of the body of Christ, really are in Him.

Message SummaryEvery day of our life is full of opportunity. Some of these opportunities are acted upon, while some are missed. More importantly, some of these opportunities have the possibility of changing the eternal destination of someone close to you. As you begin each day, remember the responsibility you have to seize every opportunity God gives you to make a real difference in someone's life. If you fail to do so, the consequences just might be eternal for a friend or loved one. Join Pastor Raul Ries as he encourages us rise up out of our complacency and make a real impact on the lives of those around us.

Message SummaryThere are times when life seems full of disappointment, strife, hurt, and severed or damaged relationships. Each person has a choice to make when faced with these types of disappointments, to follow a path of vengeance or to opt for the path of reconciliation. As believers who choose the path of reconciliation, realize that we are not alone as we travel this path. We have the hand of God helping and directing us along the way. Join Pastor Chip Lusko as he delves deeper into this topic of reconciliation and what it truly means to be an ambassador for the King.

Message SummaryEver wonder how much God thinks about you? Do you know the thoughts God has about you and what God wants for you? King David wrote many Psalms and in these Psalms, David expressed the times of His life so we may know the heart of a man that God calls, "a man after God's own heart". As we wait for the Lord and cry out to Him and trust Him, God will bring you up and out of anything you may be facing, so, take heart and be of good cheer for your God is on the move!!!!..., think about it.

Message SummaryHave you overcome the world? Do you know how to overcome the world? Is your family strong enough to overcome the world? The Apostle John writes in First John Chapter 5 concerning how we can know that we have overcome the world. But what is it to really do just that? John says, it is our faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ that overcomes the world. The question here is; do you know who God is and His Son or do you just know of Him? Your family will get you through this life but only Jesus can bring you beyond this world to His Father and all of it by His love, do you want this love or will you turn and trust in your worldly family? Think about it.

Message SummaryHow do you see you're self in the eyes of God, as little children or as one needing to become one? We all have a need to be loved and taken care of and Jesus is able to do that, Jesus told a story that is repeated in three of the four gospels about taking a child in His arms. This story is asking you to be that child and to see others as little children who are seeking a father, the Father. So, are you being taught by the Holy Spirit as a little child or are you too old for that…, think about it.

Message SummaryDo you believe that God hears you or do you just believe God does not want to hear from you? If God hears you do you really believe God will grant what you ask of Him? The Apostle John in 1 John 5, writes to us concerning having confidence that if we ask anything in His name (Jesus) He will hear us. Is that really true? John knows it to be and so can you. God wants you to know that He is available to you anytime and for any reason…, you just have to come and ask. So, as you think about this ask God to show you and you will see that God is able to do all things for you according to His will, but it all start with meeting, asking and believing in Him.

Message SummarySin affects us all and without the knowledge of God's word we would not know sin and be lost. John writes in chapter 5 concerning sin and how we are to understand sin and its nature. Sin all started with pride in Lucifer and in the disobeying of Eve and Adam but all sin can be dealt with by one simple act…, repentance. Are you in a state of sin or are you in the loving peace and care of Christ? God calls us to be set free from sin and live free. So will you accept God's gift or grace or will you hold onto what you think is right?

Message SummaryAbiding in Christ will keep you from the wicked one for God wants us to understand Him and know that we are born of God. Are you born of God? Can you really say, I am His and He is mine? This is the confidence we have in Christ, that Jesus died and rose again by the will of God and in this we who believe are born of God. John writes to us in 1 John 5 concerning who we are in Christ and how we can and do know that we belong to God. So, have you learned that your faith overcomes the world or are you still looking to the things of the world and its wisdom to help you overcome? Know this, God is yours, you only need to ask and receive Christ, will you?

Message SummaryHow often do you spread the news of someone you know who is walking in Christ that is having a great impact on others to the strengthening of the faith of many? In Third John the elder Apostle gives us two great examples of men who have kept the faith in unselfishness, impacting many to Christ. But John also exposes a man who thinks of himself first instead of bringing Christ to light. These people are selfish, prideful and without wisdom, from these put yourself at distance. Do you spread the faith in humility putting the light on Christ or are you keeping the praise for yourself putting light on you?

Message SummaryTerry taught a very spiritual rich message about what the LORD has taught him during him time as a pastor in El Paso, Texas. Particularly he explains some of the very important lessons he's learn while their church was in a tent for four years. He used these verses during his message: Philippians 4:11-13; 1 Timothy 6:6; Deuteronomy 6:10-12; 1 Peter 2:11; 1 Peter 5:5-6; Psalm 138:8

Message SummaryWho is Jesus? Lee Strobel tackles this question in his message, "The Case for the Real Jesus," looking at the biblical and historical evidence of who Jesus really was and His divine purpose on earth. In a time where the identity and message of Jesus is under constant attack, this message focuses on rediscovering the truth of our Savior.

Message SummaryPastor Raul Ries of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs joined us as our guest speaker at all four services on March 7-8. We turned our Bibles to 2 Peter 3:9 to read the scripture and hear from Pastor Raul in a message titled, "Why do we have to repent?"

Message SummaryHave you experienced the Lord's work through you in unexpected ways? The world around us is hurting and hungry. In this message, we'll explore what it means to be salt and light to those around us and learn to be ready for "The Unexpected Adventure."

Message SummaryHave you ever felt alone, totally abandoned? While we may feel that way from time to time, we have never truly been forsaken, because Jesus endured it on our behalf. Alone on the cross, forsaken by the Father, suffering at the hands of sinners, Jesus sacrificed his life for those who tormented Him. How will you respond to Him?

Message SummaryHow important is a Biblical worldview? Is it really necessary for Christians to consider life in light of the Bible? In this message from Sean McDowell, we'll examine the troublesome trend of evangelical teens exiting the church and the importance of loving the Lord with all your mind.

Message SummaryWhat assurance do you have that you'll go to heaven? What is required to receive eternal life? Church membership and religious symbols can offer a false sense of spiritual security, but in this message from guest speaker Franklin Graham we'll hear a clear and concise explanation of God's plan of salvation. We'll hear about Nicodemus and his conversation with Jesus under the cover of night and we'll learn about God's love and forgiveness for all who are willing to come.

Message SummaryFalse thoughts, false worship, and false gods - in a vision from God, Ezekiel was brought face to face with the flagrant idolatry plaguing ancient Israel. It had crept into the temple of God and the hearts of His people, and their spiritual condition demanded radical action. Join us as we uncover the roots of idolatry and discover that its long shadow reaches into the church and even our own hearts.

Message SummaryIn an era of skepticism and doubt, the resurrection comes under continual attack, but it's not an issue exclusive to our culture and time. From the beginnings of the faith, the resurrection has been challenged, although it is one of the best documented events in history. Can the dead come back to life? Let's explore the evidence, and the consequences of this essential doctrine or our faith.

Message SummaryJesus spoke in parables to reveal truth to believers; He revealed heavenly truth through the earthly stories. In this message, we examine Jesus' Parable of the Soils, where Jesus addresses how the good news is rejected or received. Let's look at the telling, the reason, the explanation and the power of the story, and be challenged to have well-watered, weed-free hearts, that are ready to receive the implanted Word.

Message SummaryWhere can you find a lasting satisfaction? How can you overcome your inadequacies? How can you extend hope to the hopeless? Learn God's plan and purpose for your life, and have an eternal impact on those around you when you walk in obedience to His calling. Let's take a look at the faith and failings of Gideon, and learn to see as God sees.

Message SummaryWhy is biblical geography important? Is the Genesis narrative of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah accurate? Join us for an update from Dr. Stephen Collins about his recent excavations at Tall el-Hammam in Jordan, and why he believes he has located the biblical Sodom.

Message SummaryWhat do you do with the problem of pain? Why does God allow evil to exist, and why do bad things happen to good people? Let's take a look at the sovereign will and the permissive will of God and gain a greater understanding of God's providence and the promise of His working all things to work together for good in the lives of His children.

Message SummaryDifficult circumstances can result in bitterness. In this message from Lamentations 3, Dr. Ross Rhoads brings us a reality check. We'll consider the heart of God in allowing us to suffer consequences, and take into account the goodness revealed in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Message SummaryThe idea of sharing the truth about sin, and even the hope of the gospel, is paralyzing to some. We are all responsible for evangelism, so let's consider our high calling and the cost others may pay if fear hinders us from fulfilling the Great Commission. What are we afraid of?

Message SummaryEver since the Garden of Eden, people have struggled with temptation. Perhaps we are tempted to lie, or gossip, or maybe it's physical lust that draws us away. If God isn't to blame, who or what is? Join us as we examine how to face temptation: its source, its course, and how to stand firm when temptation comes our way.

Message SummaryWhat’s wrong with the world? Newscasts are replete with stories of greed, violence, and deceit. While the world has no valid explanation for the evil lurking behind every corner, God’s Word is clear: the cause of pain and suffering is sin. In this study we will look at what the Bible says about sin–its cause, its consequence and its cure.

Message SummaryHave you ever thought of running away from God? Though we may not pack our bags and try to physically flee, many of us try to hide ourselves from His presence. Let's take a look at the Jonah and learn how God's prepares the prophet and consider His hand of discipline in our own lives.

Message SummaryThrough dark times and in life's shadows, the Lord is with His people. As we examine one of the best-known passages in the Old Testament, we'll learn about the tender care of the Lord in every circumstance. Whether we face financial hardships, physical difficulties, or emotional valleys, we are spiritually secure in the hands of the Good Shepherd.

Message SummaryWhen the unrighteous prosper, it can be discouraging. Why does it seem like the bad guy next door never has any problems? When we struggle with self-pity, we may find that we have taken our eyes off the Lord and have set them squarely on our circumstances. Let's reconsider the fate of the ungodly as we regain an eternal perspective of a life apart from God.

Message SummaryJoin us as we take a fresh look God the Father. Through the lens of Jesus, we'll focus our attention on the mountain-top revelation to Moses of God's very nature: compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in mercy and faithfulness, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin.

Message SummaryWhat are we as believers to do about the plight of the estimated 160 million child laborers and street children in the world? What does the Lord want us do about these starving and seemingly hopeless kids? KP Yohannan compels us to put our faith into action as we consider our text from Matthew 18.

Message SummaryReplacement theology is a frightening trend in the church. The belief that the Lord has written off the Jewish nation and that the church will be the sole recipient of God's promises is bad theology; and bad theology results in bad consequences. Let's look at the Bible and find out whether the Jews are God's chosen people and why it matters.

Message SummaryTurmoil in the Middle East including land disputes and threats from radical Islam are continually plastered across news headlines. While we don't expect radical Muslims to accept the Jewish presence in Israel, a growing number of Christians are questioning whether the Jews have a right to the Promised Land. Join us as we explore the Bible to determine whether Israel occupies land that does not belong to them. Does the Bible justify the Jewish presence in Israel?

Message SummaryThere's an intense battle raging. Throughout history, enemies have sought to annihilate the Jews and the threat of radical Islam is growing. In this message from Joel Rosenberg, we'll consider Satan's plot to destroy Israel and consider why the world hates the Jewish people.

Message SummaryGod has indeed chosen the Jewish people and given them the land of Israel, but how does He view Israel's neighbors? As we dive into God's Word, we'll see He has not given Israel license to oppress their neighbors or to create injustice. Let's listen closely to this important reminder of God's love for the world and His promises for the children of Ishmael.

Message SummaryAs Joel wraps up the series Critical Issues Facing the Epicenter, we'll explore why Israel and the Jewish people should be important to all believers. With the return of Jesus Christ approaching, we must consider our part in blessing Israel and her neighbors and Joel will encourage us to learn, pray, give, and go. Joel also addresses questions from the congregation about current events, prophecy, and the sound interpretation of God’s Word.

Message SummaryAre you missing something in life? Are you searching for something, unsure of exactly what it is? As he brings us this message from Luke 19, Franklin Graham challenges us to consider our standing before God: Are your sins forgiven? Listen and learn that though we are all guilty of sin, we can receive forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.

Message SummaryIf you could do anything, what would it be? Let's consider whether our dreams are man-made or God-given as we look at the example of Moses. Faith without works is dead—how can we use our gifts fully for the glory of God?

Message SummaryAre you a happy person? That's the issue addressed in this message from Pastor AJ Villegas. We'll examine our overall outlook, and consider the difference in worldly satisfaction and true contentment. We'll learn that a proper perspective of the Lord, rather than comfortable circumstances, are the source of genuine happiness.

Message SummaryHow can we have more effective prayer lives? Let's take a brief look at "The Lord's Prayer" and consider how God Himself has instructed us to pray. We'll gain a greater understanding of how God honors our submission, our commission, and the remission or our sins.

Message SummaryThe Bible helps us make sense of archaeology—His inerrant Word sheds light recent discoveries. As we consider this message from Dr. Holden, we'll discover that validity of the biblical history confirms and clarifies God's Word and further demonstrates God's love for man.

Message SummaryEvery day, millions of people around the world search the internet for God. Learn how Global Media Outreach and online missionaries are using technology to reach the world with the gospel.

Message SummaryIn this study from Joshua 2, Levi Lusko discusses God’s plan of redemption as demonstrated through the life of Rahab. We’ll learn that God’s goes before us, wants to save those around us, and is not afraid of what’s behind us.

Message SummaryIf you want to see God do the impossible, you have to believe He can, then take the steps to make it happen. Those steps may seem scary and crazy at first and people around you may not understand, but God can do things that we can't even dream up. Fight the battle knowing that it’s already won!

Message SummaryDr. Ron Rhodes is president of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries. He regularly addresses current issues in the national media, and has been a keynote speaker at conferences across the United States. Dr. Rhodes teaches cult apologetics at Veritas Evangelical Seminary and other seminaries around the country.
Jump To: Dr. Ron Rhodes Testimony | Saturday | Sunday 8:00 | Sunday 9:30 | Sunday 11:15

Message SummaryLike many of us, Manasseh was raised in a good home where he was taught who God is, and yet he chose to walk away. He rebelled against his father and the Lord, leading Israel into idolatry and immorality. But Manasseh repented from his evil ways, turned back to the Lord, and received God's forgiveness. In this inspiring message, Franklin Graham reminds us that no one is outside of God's reach.

Message SummaryAre your prayers rooted in God's promises? That's the issue addressed in this study from 1 Kings 18:41-46. As we consider the prayer and faith of the prophet Elijah, we'll glean important principles about bringing our requests to the Father and receiving what God has promised.

Message SummaryWhat is your mission in life? As we study this passage from James, we gain a clearer understanding of God's plans for each of us - inwardly and outwardly. Let's consider who we are living to please and the rewards of a life lived faithfully.

Message SummaryWhile Jesus is certainly the most extraordinary and influential figure in history, opinions about His identity vary widely. Culture and experience can influence our thoughts about who He is and why He came—but what does the Bible tell us about who He is? What will you do with the real Jesus?

Message SummaryDrawing from 1 Peter 3:15 and 2 Peter 1:16, Dr. Collins explains our calling as believers to offer factual evidence in favor of our faith and reminds us that the Bible is a book of history, as well as a record of spiritual truth. He also shares unpublished, unprecedented archaeological discoveries including the gateway of Sodom along the southern wall of the lower city.

Message SummaryWe often have a pretty good grasp of how fleeting time can be. In this day and age of waxing philosophical, moral relativism, and a church that gives in to the pressures of the world, we need a firm grasp of how and why we must redeem the time. As we consider Ephesians 5:15-17, we'll be reminded that time is short—we need to be wise, walk in the light, use our minds, and understand that God has a plan for our lives.

Message Summary There are different ways of knowing. We can know "that," and have an understanding of something; we can know "how," and experience something; and we can know "personally," and have a relationship with someone. In John 17:1-5 we will dissect a portion of Jesus' prayer to His Father, before being handed over to crucifixion. In this passage we learn that Jesus' suffering and death would reveal the glory, or character of His Father, and that through His death and resurrection, we can know God. Knowing God is intimate and personal, and by studying what it is to know God, we'll understand that eternal life comes from being in relationship with the only true God.

Message SummaryLearn the facts on Muslim population growth around the globe and grapple with how to effectively reach the Islamic population. Take cues from Matthew 22 and learn how to love non-Christians as neighbors who need to hear the good news.

Message SummaryPeter wrote to Christians in the Roman Empire who experienced persecution and were about to suffer greater persecution! How were they to respond to these trials and troubles? In our text, we see they were to love and serve one another, and use the gifts that God gave them—and so are we!

Message SummaryEpicenter is a term that describes Jerusalem as the center of the nations based on Ezekiel 5:5. While there is darkness in the epicenter, there is also great hope. Let's consider how we can pray for peace and prepare for war along with the Joshua Fund as they plan to meet people's needs if and when war breaks out in the Middle East. Media from the entire Epicenter Conference can be found at epicenterconference.com

Message SummaryOnly God knows what tomorrow holds and through our text, He communicates both warnings and encouragement about the future. Let’s heed His Word and prepare for what is to come—not only great pain and suffering, but also salvation for those who believe.
Media from the entire Epicenter Conference can be found at epicenterconference.com

Message SummaryShe did what she could—her gift of costly nard in an alabaster flask was broken and poured out to prepare Jesus for his burial. But the disciples condemned her—scolded her for the extravagant gift. Is that how we view those who are extravagantly sold out to Christ? Through this text, we learn from her sacrifice and Jesus' commendation to the heart of what we do be done in extravagant devotion to God.

Message SummaryFranklin Graham is noted for using every occasion to preach the gospel, inviting people to take part in God's plan of salvation—whether on the mission field, on-site at a natural disaster, behind the microphone of a national news program, or in a church sanctuary. From the story of a blind man healed in Mark 10:46-52, Franklin delivers a powerful presentation of the good news. You too can be healed and your sins can be forgiven! Come to Jesus!

Message SummaryThroughout history, the question has been asked: “How long?”How long will sin go unpunished? How long will the rebellious prosper? How long will God allow suffering? The answer is: not much longer. When the time is right, God will once and for all prove His power over Satan and sin. Will you be ready?

Message SummaryLife has its highs and lows. When we are at our lowest, who can we count on to answer the deep, anguished cry of our heart? Who can we call when things become so painful, we can't even believe it's real? David would tell us that there is One who neither slumbers nor sleeps, One who is ready and able to answer our call.

Message SummaryAs a follower of Jesus, how are you representing God? In Numbers 20:1-13, the people contended with Moses and Aaron. They did not trust God and the leadership He appointed. Likewise, Moses and Aaron allowed their anger and frustration to control them. They rebelled against the Lord and misrepresented Him to the people. As we consider this text, we learn that as ambassadors for Christ, we must be gracious and submissive both in our leadership and in our following.

Message SummaryMark Hitchcock is a well-known proponent of Bible prophecy and a popular author who has written over 20 books on important end-times topics. He is the senior pastor of Faith Bible Church near Edmond, Oklahoma and has served as adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary.

Message SummaryThe Bible says that God destroyed Sodom and the cities of the plain with fire from heaven—an event that took out an entire civilization in the blink of an eye. Dr. Steven Collins, Dean of the College of Archaeology and Biblical History at Trinity Southwest University and lead archaeologist at the Tall el-Hammam dig in Jordan, presents the evidence of the city of Sodom and its miraculous destruction. His extraordinary discoveries will strengthen your faith and bolster your trust in God's Word.

Message SummaryJust like the disciples rowing on a stormy sea, the church in America must face exhausting and frustrating circumstances with courage, strength, and perseverance, knowing that Jesus prays for us. Let’s find that perfect blend of truth and love—to tell people about Jesus and not be afraid to take a stand on issues.

Message SummaryAs we celebrate Mother's Day with the wives, daughters, sisters, and mothers all around us, K. P. Yohannan paints a portrait of his mother and the influence that she had, both in her family and in India. We catch just a tiny glimpse of a country with 62 million child laborers suffering on the streets and millions of mothers who have never heard of our Jesus to whom they can take their children. K. P.'s mother would say, "Our greatest privilege is to love people."

Message SummaryIn preparation for ministry, the prophet Isaiah was given a vision of the Lord's holiness—a vision which drove him to repentance and service. As we consider this text, we uncover important principles to apply to our own worship of the Lord.

Message SummaryThe Jewish scribes had such great reverence for God's Word that it was of the utmost importance to preserve the Scriptures accurately. They took great measures—memorizing 4,000 laws before they could begin to write—to ensure it would be copied, pronounced, and interpreted precisely. Josh McDowell presents to us one of the rarest scrolls in the world, called the Lodz Torah Scroll, showing us that God will always provide the means for His sacred Word to be available to His church.

Message SummaryWhat we believe about God and what He tells us in His Word will affect our lifestyles and our behavior. When we accept Christ into our hearts, we become His representatives, and we must begin to live like what we believe is true. Christian comedian Brad Stine challenges us to push past our comfortable boundaries and take back our culture.

Message SummaryIn Hebrews 11, we read testimonies of men and women who demonstrated extraordinary faith. When God commanded them to do something, they obeyed. From their examples, we learn that in our weaknesses, we are made strong, faith requires courage to face difficulties, and obeying the Lord is about using the faith we have rather than the amount of faith we possess.

Message SummaryAs believers, we can never outgrow the gospel—when we think we have, we are actually moving backwards. Paul's letter to the Romans was a treatise explaining the good news of Jesus Christ, and the recipients were saints! In this refreshing study, we are reminded about the power and love that was displayed on the cross, and how our Lord Jesus Christ has conquered all!

Message SummaryEveryone encounters trials. We can't escape them, but we can choose how we react to them. In 1 Samuel, we read about a woman who realized that God is bigger than any circumstance. As Hannah poured out her soul to the Lord, she was filled with joy that only comes from Him. Through her life, we learn that God will sustain us through any trial and He will use our pain to further His kingdom.

Message SummaryJohn the Baptist was the herald of Jesus, the coming King. As he prepared to present the Messiah to the world, he preached one simple message: "Repent!" Interestingly, John preached this message to the Jews, especially those who were religious. In this study, we learn the meaning of true repentance and how that leads to true sanctification.

Message SummaryThe Old Testament is packed with Scriptures that point to the coming of Christ. By looking closely at the ark of the covenant, guest speaker Don McClure gives us insight about how the tabernacle points to Jesus, and he encourages us to give up our burdens and surrender every area of our lives to the Lord.

Message SummaryOut of all the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus, He chose only one from the prophet Isaiah to share with the people in Nazareth—one that revealed His character. As we study this portrait of Jesus in Luke 4, we also learn about the power that dwelt inside Him: the power of the Holy Spirit, which now dwells in us.

Message SummaryEveryone wants to be happy, but not everyone is happy. We know that the world's idea of happiness is broken, because nothing from the world can satisfy us. But God wants us to have lasting joy. As we look at the passage of Scripture known as the Beatitudes, we discover what true happiness is and Who can fix our happiness.

Message SummaryJeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet." He tried to warn the nation of Israel to repent or God would send judgment. They didn't listen. As we study this passage, it may look like Jeremiah's life was wasted, but God never puts anything to waste, even our trials. Pastor Levi Lusko shares the tough realities of following Jesus, but reminds us that Jesus will always renew our strength.

Message SummaryGod sought to deliver Lot and his family from the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, but Lot's wife looked back, disobeying the Lord. Franklin Graham teaches from a passage in Luke 17 and reminds us that God will judge all sin, but we don't have to receive this judgment. Because of His compassionate love, the Lord made a way for us to be redeemed?through His Son, Jesus.

Message SummaryObituary, funeral, afterlife?all those words describe your future. The reality is that just like we were all born, we will all die. Like Elisha, with our dying breaths, we should be speaking in faith, leaving a legacy of faith that will outlast our time on earth. The end of your life doesn't have to be the end of the impact your life will have.

Message SummaryOut of all the things the disciples could've asked Jesus to teach them, they asked Him how they should pray. In Matthew 6, Jesus shared the model prayer—the Lord's Prayer. In the passage that leads up to and covers the first part of the Lord's Prayer, we learn about the importance, power, and promise of prayer.

Message SummaryTime and time again, Joseph encountered hardships that were not his doing: harsh treatment, betrayal, false accusation, and apathy. But Joseph was always mindful of God and remained obedient despite the unfairness he met. We learn it was his reverence of God that gave Him peace to get through every situation—and God raised him from a slave to the second in command over all of Egypt. His life seemed to be an epic fail, but as we study his reactions, we see how God turned his life into an epic feat.

Message SummaryThe authors of the Bible wrote about false teachers who used deception to bring division and destruction to the body of Christ. After examining 1 John 2:26-27, we also look at various deceivers, their methods, and their ultimate end. We are challenged to examine our lives for areas where the Enemy could try to mislead us, and we learn how we can arm ourselves with God's everlasting, unchanging truth.

Message SummaryPeter called his fellow believers to be holy and reinforced this exhortation with an Old Testament command from the Lord. Today, there are many who walk in darkness—even believers—but as we study 1 Peter 1:15-16, we are reminded to live honorable and holy lives for the Lord. Let's consider what Scripture says about holiness, glean from examples of strong believers who came before us, and learn about the reasons for living a holy life.

Message SummaryJesus' parable about the prodigal son is one of the most well-known parables from the Bible. But as we discover who Jesus' specific audience was, we learn that the son's warm welcoming by his father isn't the only—or even main—message Jesus was communicating. In this study of Luke 15:11-32, we learn about three types of relationships with the Father: the rebellious, repentant, and religious.

Message SummaryAs we search the Scriptures to find out God's thoughts about generosity, we discover that we are called to make giving an integral part of our lives. Through two passages from both the Old and New Testament, we see how generosity is a call to obedience from the Lord as well as a demonstration of faith on our part. When we give generously, we become more and more like God as He blesses us, and the world can see that our God is alive and moving.

Message SummaryIn Matthew 7:21-29, Jesus told a story about two men who had built duplicate houses, but there was one critical difference: the foundations. Jesus used this story to call out the imposters who claimed to be His followers. In this study, we are reminded that God has a building code for our lives and His Word is our blueprint. We must carefully consider if we're building on the unshakeable foundation of Jesus Christ.

Message SummaryIn 2 Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy to urge him to remain steadfast in his faith and ministry. As we study this verse from chapter 1, we look at Paul's call to be bold in Christ. Guest speaker Victor Marx weaves his personal testimony into this powerful message as he addresses fear, redemption, marriage, purity, and forgiveness.

Message SummaryJesus performed countless miracles in His time; the Bible even says that not all of them were written down. We look at one of those miracles in John 2:1-11, when Jesus transformed water into wine at a wedding. In this study with Pastor Daniel Fusco, we see how Jesus turned a seemingly ordinary event into something extraordinary, showing us that He desires to be actively involved in our lives—transforming us so we can transform this world.

Message SummaryAt any point in life, we will either be coming out of, entering into, or found in the middle of a storm. As we study Matthew 14:22-33, when Jesus' disciples were caught in a literal storm, we learn seven important lessons from guest speaker Dr. Erwin Lutzer about how to survive our present and future storms—whether they're physical, emotional, or spiritual.

Message SummaryUp until the last several decades, the world has taught that truth exists, but we've seen the rise of relativism in our society since then. Because Jesus talked a lot about truth in the Bible, this issue should be important to believers. In this study, Pastor Brian Nixon helps us understand the world's changing definition of truth and the Bible's fixed definition of truth. Expounding on the book of 2 John, he also explains how truth plays out practically in the lives of believers.

Message SummaryWhen we think of the twelve apostles, we sometimes get the idea that they were an elite, holy group of men who effortlessly followed Jesus. But as we study Matthew 10:1-4, we see that almost the opposite is true. While they did have dedication in following Christ, they didn't have it all together, and they made mistakes along the way. In this message, Pastor Nate Heitzig explains how God used even this ragtag group of men to radically change the world, showing that God wants to take us as we are and transform us so we can also impact the world.

Message SummaryIn this study, Sean McDowell takes us through a number of Bible passages to help us understand the biblical view of homosexuality. As he shares his experiences and research on the topic, he also gives helpful advice on how we can address this issue in a compassionate and thoughtful way.

Message SummaryMost churches today are filled with passive spectators rather than active participants. As believers, we are called to join Jesus on His mission: to fulfill God's purposes on the earth. In this message, Pastor Ed Stetzer explains how we can live engaged in mission, calling us to glorify God by using our spiritual gifts to serve Him and others.

Message SummaryIn this life, we go through storms—whether it's sickness, the death of a loved one, or the betrayal of someone we trust—and we can't avoid them. In Matthew 8:23-27, we find Jesus and His disciples caught in a literal storm as they crossed the Sea of Galilee. As we take a look at their different responses to the storm, we see how God grows us and comforts us in the trials of life.

Message SummaryWhen we enter one of life's storms, we must remember that God wants us to see Him in those circumstances and put our trust in Him. In this study, we learn that Jesus taught this lesson to His disciples as they journeyed across the Sea of Galilee. We also discover that even though we can't control the storms in our lives, we can be comforted with the truth that Jesus has appointed those storms, will meet us in them, and will deliver us from them.

Message SummaryIn this special message from guest speaker Franklin Graham, we learn how God is using Operation Christmas Child to raise up young evangelists across the globe. Then, as we study Mark 10:17-22, we see how the rich young ruler fell short in his relationship with God: he put material things before the one true God. Franklin presents a bold gospel message, explaining how Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself and is the only one who can save us.

Message SummaryA number of times throughout their history, God's chosen people disobeyed Him and strayed from His commands. But He continually extended His hand of mercy so they could be restored. Today we might find ourselves in need of restoration and renewal, and God is ready to work in us to transform us. As we examine this passage in Joel, we discover three steps that we must take on the journey to restoration.

Message SummaryIn our culture today, Christians are known mostly for judging and condemning others, but that's not what we are called to do in Scripture. In this message, Pastor Nate Heitzig explains what Jesus said concerning judgment, and we learn how we should stop condemning others and instead start being more considerate so that we can start a lovement.

Message SummaryWhen we think of leadership and greatness, we probably don't think about doing something insignificant in order to be significant. But throughout Scripture, we are reminded that a true leader serves others and that someone who is great sacrifices much. In this message, Pastor Jesse Lusko gets to the heart of what true leadership really is, drawing from the example of Christ.

Message Summary People are constantly finding new causes to rally behind, but we can't change society then expect people to get better. In fact, Jesus claimed the opposite—people must change before society can get better—and He demonstrated that by loving the unlovable and caring for the rejected. Pastor Nate Heitzig challenges us to be part of the uprising of love as he explains what that means and how we can live it out.

Message SummaryWhat are we as believers called to pursue? Matthew 6:33 provides the answer: the kingdom of God. In this message, Pastor Justin Marbury shares about his experience with planting a church and explores this verse in depth. As we look at how Jesus brought three things to light concerning the pursuit of the kingdom, we're challenged to overcome our fear and trust in God's provision.

Message SummaryIn this message, Chip Lusko explains how everything we experience in this life—both good and bad—pales in comparison with what we'll one day experience in glory. Taking us through Romans 8:18, Chip encourages us to carefully consider life and death so that we can be assured of our eternal fate and be freed to live out God's adventure for us.

Message SummaryThere are two questions every person must answer: Who am I, and what am I supposed to do? If you're a believer, then you're in the body of Christ as a minister—or a minister-in-training—of the kingdom. In this teaching, Bob Shank explores how God matures us and what we can do to serve others the way Jesus did.

Message SummaryFor millennia, mankind has struggled to understand why an all-powerful God allows suffering and evil to exist. Using Psalm 73 as a springboard, Nelson Walker explores this issue in depth, ultimately encouraging us to trust the God who invites us to join Him in an eternal dance of love.

Message SummaryNot many Christians live the kind of inspired life that Paul the apostle did, but God promises that we can rise above pain and hardships and become more than conquerors. Drawing from the marvelous example of Paul, Neil Ortiz explains how you are unstoppable when you take God at His Word and obediently follow Him day by day.

Message SummaryGrace—the favor shown by God to sinners—is unique to the Christian faith. Sharing two stories about two people who experienced the immense love of God, Lee Strobel illuminates grace for us in a new way and explains two important things we need to know about the God of grace.

Message SummaryWouldn't it be great if temptation disappeared when you became a believer? Following the Lord doesn't make you exempt from temptation and sin; it actually makes you a bigger target. In this message, Nate Heitzig discusses the seriousness of sin and the hope we have when we trust the Lord to fight on our behalf.

Message SummaryAs believers, we have the privilege of being God's children—He is our Abba Father, meaning we have a special, close relationship with Him. In this message, Ben Courson explains what it means that God is our Father, pointing out some of His attributes and revealing who we are to Him.

Message SummaryThe Bible portrays Jesus as both a ferocious lion and a gentle lamb—traits that we should strive to emulate. In this message, Victor Marx mixes parts of his personal testimony and stories from his recent trip to the Middle East with impacting truths about how we can have compassion for others as we live boldly for Christ.

Message SummaryDr. Richard Furman is a vascular surgeon and cofounder of World Medical Mission. In this Expound Interactive, Pastor Skip interviews Dr. Furman about a variety of health topics and how we can stay active for the Lord for many years to come.

Message SummaryIn this special interview with Free Burma Rangers founder Dave Eubank, we hear about his family's ongoing ministry to the people of Burma (Myanmar), as well as their recent trip to Kurdistan. Dave also shares about their expanding partnership with Reload Love and what believers can do in the face of terrorism.

Message SummaryWorry goes to war against our faith every day. Life’s "what ifs" will beat us down and steal our attention if we let them. Thankfully, God’s Word gives us a tutorial on how to flip the script and go to war against the worry in our lives.

Message SummaryIn this special message, Ken Mansfield shares his testimony of going from being the U.S. manager of the Beatles' Apple Records to being broken, humbled, and eventually saved by the Lord later in life. Looking back on his thirty years in the music industry, Ken encourages us to see how God weaves the events and circumstances of our lives together to ultimately bring Him glory.

Message SummaryLions have spectacular vision, and they are better at processing light than humans. We need to become better at processing light, opening the pupils of our soul so we can see God's plan, purposes, promises, and presence even in the midst of our problems and pain. In this message, Levi Lusko gives us four ways to see life through the telescope of faith—through the eyes of a lion.

Message SummaryWe live in a fallen and corrupt world: boundaries are being pushed further, headlines are more shocking, and moral lines are becoming more blurred. As believers, we can respond by either passively complaining about it or by standing up for the gospel. In this message from Nate Heitzig, we look at the Beatitudes, learning how to live a sanctified life in the midst of moral decay and increasing persecution.

Message SummarySometimes one decision can lead to a multitude of bad decisions. Unfortunately, that was the case for Abraham's nephew, Lot. Teaching from Genesis 13, Franklin Graham explains the devastating effects of sin and its highest consequence—being separated from God. He also explains how we can rest in the truth that Christ came and died to save us from our sin.

Message SummaryGod wants us to impact our world, not just by becoming better versions of ourselves, but by influencing our culture. In this New Year's message, Nate Heitzig explains how we can be salt to the world and a light in the darkness as we share the gospel and live a life that is visibly different.

Message SummaryThe difficulty, pains, and distractions of life can hit every one of us: from the rich to the poor and the ordinary to the popular. They can steal our joy and peace as well as devour the plans and purposes that God has for us. Steve Wilburn encourages us to not underestimate what God can do in our lives, and he challenges us to allow the Holy Spirit to use us to reach others for Christ.

Message SummaryRepentance means being sorry enough to change. In this message, Kelly Bransford teaches the importance of going God's way instead of our own. As we look at the story of the prodigal son, we learn how God deals with us when we run away from Him.

Message SummaryIt takes courage to be a true follower of Christ—to trust God, obey Him, and speak His truth. Unfortunately, the church has seen a striking decline in courage. Steve Berger challenges us to find the source of our courage and to bring it back to the church so we can impact the world for Christ.

Message SummaryWe were made to crave the things of heaven, our eternal home. As believers, we know that our future contains fullness of joy with Christ, but because the things of this earth are attractive, we can easily become preoccupied with them. Mat Pirolo teaches how we can be heavenly minded so we can make the most of our time on earth.

Message SummaryOur cares and problems can often be too much to bear, and when God seems distant in those times, He wants us to call on Him and trust in His loving-kindness. Sometimes God even allows us to come to the end of ourselves so we have no choice but to rely on Him. Nelson Walker reminds us that we can trust in God's unfailing love to get us through anything.

Message SummaryA recurring theme in Scripture is that life is messy, but Jesus is real. Daniel Fusco addresses this tension head-on and highlights a hope for anyone living at this intersection of life and faith. He shares a pathway set out in the book of Ephesians about how to walk honestly through the messiness of life while staying focused on the certainty that Jesus is real.

Message SummaryMany people know very little about the Lord due to biblical illiteracy. God's self-disclosure of His nature can be found in His Word, and when we don't know the Bible, we lack a proper understanding of Him. In this teaching, Brian Nixon looks at three characteristics of God's nature, and we learn how we should respond with our conduct.

Message SummaryMany of us struggle with insecurity, feeling uncertain about our worth, value, or place in the world, so we develop defense mechanisms that cause us to feel like strangers in our own souls. Insecurity is real, but it is no match for the name of Jesus and the power of God's presence. In this teaching from Levi Lusko, we learn how to be content in who God made us to be.

Message SummaryGod has called all believers to be fishers of men. In this message by Nate Heitzig, we learn how to be efficient witnesses for Jesus as we allow God to use our natural gifts in supernatural ways.

Message SummaryGod is the team owner of the church, and He has appointed our head coach, our senior pastor, to lead us. If we follow the leader and are all in, we will bear fruit for the kingdom of God. In this message, Neil Ortiz reminds us that our goal is unity in diversity.

Message SummaryGod desires to see His lost children come home. In this message by Jason Mills, we learn that we are not valuable to God because of what we do; we are valuable to Him because we are His children. As we study the parable of the prodigal son, we learn that the Father is always waiting to forgive all those who want to be forgiven.

Message SummaryDr. James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is also the founder and president of Serious Times, a ministry that explores the intersection of faith and culture. Dr. White has authored twenty books that have been translated into ten languages. Find his resources at churchandculture.org.

Message SummaryThe existence and location of the ancient city of Sodom proves the historical accuracy of the Bible. In this presentation by Dr. Steven Collins, we learn that the evidence of the existence and destruction of this city is a huge reason for scholars to take the Bible—and God—seriously.

Message SummaryBelievers are called to reflect Christ to the world. In this message, Pastor Tony Clark demonstrates that we are on the earth to reach lost souls, and we must begin by being Christian leaders in our own homes. When we reflect the light of Christ in our life, we show the beauty of God to the world.

Message SummaryDr. Erwin Lutzer serves as pastor emeritus of the Moody Church in Chicago. He is an award-winning author of more than twenty books, including Rescuing the Gospel: The Story and Significance of the Reformation. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on Running to Win, heard weekdays at 6 am on KNKT 107.1 FM.

Message SummaryAs Americans, we have long enjoyed freedom of religion, but the church is under attack like never before. In this message, Dr. Erwin Lutzer shares five false gospels being taught in our nation today, challenging us to live for Christ in a generation that has lost its way.

Message SummaryWe all have days that we will never forget—many of those days can be painful and feel like chaos. But God can use the chaos of our lives to promote the gospel and save more people if we leverage our pain for His purpose. As Mat Pirolo teaches from Acts 8:1-8, he explains that God can use us to do a mighty work, even if we don't see the fruit right away.

Message SummaryAmerica has experienced several spiritual revivals in its history—and we are past due for another one. In this message, Nelson Walker teaches that our nation will only experience revival if we humble ourselves before God, turn from our wicked ways, and call on the Lord to save us.

Message SummaryInstead of killing Mephibosheth, King David showed him loving grace by restoring Saul's property to his family. In this message by Franklin Graham, we are reminded that God, by His grace, restores life to those who turn to Him in Jesus' name.

Message SummaryIn our materialistic culture, we can sometimes lose sight of what really matters. In this message by Kelly Bransford, we learn that life is about so much more than just surviving; it's about investing in our eternity.

Message SummaryGod loves us more than we could possibly understand. In turn, Jesus commanded us to love God as well. In this study of Psalm 8, Nelson Walker explains that to love God completely, we must know Him more intimately, obey Him wholeheartedly, and follow Him willingly.

Message SummaryToday, we explore a mystery of the Christian experience: Why do Christians struggle with behavior so contradictory to their beliefs? The author of Romans put it this way: “I do not understand what I do” (7:15, NIV). Let’s look for an answer and a solution.

Message SummaryWorship is so much more than songs or a musical genre. But more important than a definition for worship is our motivation behind it. God’s worthiness should transform worship from a musical style to a lifestyle.

Message SummaryWe all carry heavy burdens in our life: burdens of pain, sorrow, and sin. In this message, Nate Heitzig teaches that we as Christians are not victims of chance, but rather we are God-led individuals who must bring our burdens to the Lord through prayer.

Message SummaryWe were created to worship. Some people worship money, power, or themselves. But there is nothing in this world worthy of our worship except Christ. In this message, Nate Heitzig challenges us to let go of our doubt, fear, and faithlessness and give it to God.

Message SummaryChristian persecution is at an all-time high globally. But that’s not the whole story. A new Jesus movement is erupting out of the Middle East, and persecuted believers are leading the way. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel, these new believers are fearless. Jesus is right there, standing with them, and the fiery furnace of today is the growing threat of Islamic terrorism.

Message SummaryThe Bible states that God destroyed the city of Sodom with fire. Dr. Steven Collins has spent the last twelve years excavating what he believes to be the archaeological ruins of this ancient city. In this message, Dr. Collins teaches that the discovery of Sodom is important because biblical archaeology is the most powerful means of demonstrating the Bible's historical authenticity.

Message SummaryBen Courson is the director of Hope Generation and author of three books. He is a gifted and nationally renowned speaker based out of Applegate Christian Fellowship, and he has a national TV and radio program. His humorous, uplifting, and high-energy style coupled with a gift to communicate God’s heart is hugely impactful.

Message SummaryA person's worth is determined by the image in which they were created: the image of God. In this message, Nate Heitzig gives us some principles about sharing our faith, reminding us that as Christians, we are called to tell others about Jesus.

Message SummaryThough it may seem like it at times, God is not a far-off, distant being. In this message, Mat Pirolo teaches that we live in a fantastic, beautiful universe because we serve a very real God. As we study Psalm 8, we learn that nothing expresses God's desire to be with us more than the cross of Christ.

Message SummaryProductive change doesn't happen by accident; we have to be intentional about it. In this message, Jason Mills examines the life of King Josiah, a man who recognized that something needed to change in the nation of Israel and took steps to see that it was done. As we study 1 Kings 22-23, we learn the practical steps we can take to see change in our own lives.

Message SummaryAs humans, we lack perseverance because of fatigue and fear. To persevere, we need to be reminded of the cause for which we are fighting. In this message, Neil Ortiz teaches that as Christians, we are called to live for God in every facet of our lives, even if our circumstances cause us to be afraid and fatigued.

Message SummaryOur society is becoming more disjointed and divided: rather than celebrating what we have in common, we emphasize what separates us. But in the midst of this, people are looking for a place to belong, a community where they feel safe, and a family they can trust and love. In this message, Nate Heitzig teaches that this is what the church is for: to be a home where people can find love and the Beloved—Jesus Christ.

Message SummaryWhat we think informs and influences what we do. A Christian worldview is faith in Jesus and faith that seeks to understand what God has created. In this message, Brian Nixon teaches that in order to cultivate a Christian worldview, we must be saved, be continuously sanctified, and study God's Word.

Message SummaryMartin Luther, fearing that Germany would be next in Islam's remarkable conquests in Europe, wrote extensively about Islam and the Qur'an. He exposed Muslim intentions and spoke about the role of the church in the conflict, emphasizing the response pastors should have when threatened by this militaristic religion. In this message, Dr. Erwin Lutzer shares Luther's insights and courage, encouraging us to make friends with our Muslim neighbors.

Message SummaryThough you can have a saved soul, you can also have a wasted life. Yet God has given you everything you need to be spiritually successful. In this message, Jonathan Laurie teaches that God has given each of His children unique gifts, and we must use them to serve His kingdom.